The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee has dismissed a formal complaint that Senator Chris Dodd’s Irish cottage was an inappropriate gift from a businessman.

Senator Dodd had maintained that the allegations brought forward by a conservative group were baseless and politically motivated.

Last year, Judicial Walsh questioned whether the price Dodd paid for his seaside home in County Galway was so low that it could have been viewed as a gift from real estate businessman Edward “Bucky” Kessinger.

The committee concluded that the evidence did not support the allegations.

Commenting on the judgment, Dodd said in a statement Wednesday that he appreciated the committee’s conclusion.

Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch’s president described the committee’s decision as “despicable” and said that Dodd showed potential criminal behavior.